


A Samurai's Steed

by CasterShell



Series: Loyal Companions [1]
Category: Ghost of Tsushima (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Implied/Referenced Animal Neglect, Let Jin brush his horse, Minor Character Death, Part 3 spoilers, Spoilers, The quest that should have been, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25869253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasterShell/pseuds/CasterShell
Summary: The game should have let Jin brush and take care of his horse.After losing everything and fighting the Mongols, the one constant Jin has left is his horse. His poor neglected unbrushed horse.
Series: Loyal Companions [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904707
Comments: 8
Kudos: 39





	A Samurai's Steed

**Author's Note:**

> There are chapter 3 spoilers in this fic. The end of chapter 2/start of chapter 3 is heavily implied/referenced and events from mid-chapter 3 are mentioned. If you want to avoid spoilers please play through the opening of Heart of the Jito, that's where the fanific ends.
> 
> This fic was inspired by the events of part 3 and the fact that Jin cannot brush, groom, or feed his horse in game. There should have been a side quest that let Jin fatten up his horse. That poor thing needs some meat on its bones. Jin's horse works hard and deserves the best of everything.

Jin rode north on the road, at a ground eating but responsible trot. As a samurai he had to be aware enough of his surrounding to share the road, it wouldn’t do to run over any of his people with his horse. He’d just dispatched two mongol patrols and with luck that would keep roads in this area clear long enough for more refugees to travel freely. The snows were harsh, and it was best the common people could get where they were going without delay. He was looking forward to returning to Jogaku Temple. He wanted to warm himself in a bath and let his horse rest and get warm in a stall. He felt pity for the sad thing with its thin mangy coat that did nothing to keep the cold out. But this horse was just a means of transportation. He wouldn’t, couldn’t, let himself get attached. Not like with Kage. But that didn’t mean he’d be cruel to the pathetic creature and not tend to it.

Jin was focused inwards, but training and instinct meant he sensed that something was moving towards him a moment before he saw the peasant step on to the road from behind a stand of bamboo. It was a man in well-worn well patched cloths, and once he knew Jin had seen him he bowed.

Jin brought his horse to a stop, it was only proper to hear what the common folk had to say. As a samurai, and the ghost, it was his duty to help his people. Jin nodded to the man. “Good day.”

“My lord!” the peasant held a perfect 90 degree bow. “Thank you for your work keeping the roads safe. The ghost is hero of the people. It is an honor.”

Jin nodded at the peasant. He was about to speak when he was jerked to the side. His horse had decided that stopping meant it was time to inhale whatever grass it could get from the roadside. Its head darted like a viper snapping up a mouthful of grass between the snow and nearly taking the peasant’s foot with it. The man jumped out of his bow and took a cautious step away from the sharp teeth. Before Jin could feel too much embarrassment at his failure to control his horse the peasant continued to speak.

“My lord, if I may be so bold as to speak?” The peasant began.

Jin nodded, humming his assent.

“This horse is not…” he paused to reconsider his words, “It hardly seems fitting of a samurai of your status. I know of a man, a horse trader from the mainland, who was trapped here when the Mongols invaded. If you are lucky my lord, he might still have a better horse for you.” The peasant was eying Jin’s horse, it really wasn’t befitting a samurai, all bones, half starved, mangy and half bald; the only good things about it were its feet and teeth.

“Thank you,” Jin said, “And where can I find this man?” It was worth looking in to. A horse was just a tool, a means of transport. It was best not to get attached, then it wouldn’t hurt as much when…He wasn’t going to think of Kage.

The peasant gave him directions and Jin resumed his journey north, this time veering slightly east. This horse, despite its appearances, was a good one, or at least passable at its core. It had a solid bone structure even if the muscles and fat had wasted away. And he had to wonder what it might have been before, before the harsh winter and the mongol invasion. He’d felt the horse give a strong backwards kick at the apex of one or two of their jumps. This horse could keep pace with Lady Masako’s own well-bred samurai warhorse. It had a fiery personality, shoving him where Kage would…where Kage would have given a gentle headbutt. And while Kage loved his nose scratched, this horse would take his fingers off for trying but would melt like snow in spring when Jin scratched under the mane. Though Jin was loath to bring his hands near the coarse mess because then he could feel the bald skin, the small scabs of mite bites, and even worse feel the lice creeping under his own fingernails.

Jin took out another Mongol patrol and drove off a wild bear too close to the road before reaching his destination. The camp he’d been directed to was dirty, and small, and there were certainly no baths, but this was where the horse trader was said to be staying. Jin could get warm by the fire, and rest his legs, and then find his horse trader. Around the fire Jin shared his travel rations, giving a rice ball to a family with a small child, and sharing in some dried fish another traveling family had brought. It seemed these were farmers, heading south to the lands his Uncle had fortified to seek refuge. After getting their stories and ensuring they had no immediate troubles in need of a samurai’s assistance he felt safe asking questions. And sure enough he was able to find the horse trader at a nearby tent. It never went this easily, there had to be a catch.

“I am sorry my lord, but I do not have any horses. It is surprising though, that a samurai would not have a horse.” The horse trader was bowing and apologizing.

Jin whistled and his thin brown horse trotted up behind him, strands of fibrous roadside grass still dangling from his lips. “As you can see, I do have a horse. But it is ‘not befitting of a samurai’ as your friend told me. It was advised I get new one from you.” 

The horse trader’s eyes opened wide. He practically shoved his hands in the brown horse’s mouth to check his teeth, then ran his hands along the shoulders and legs, he effortlessly picked up and inspected all the hooves, moving around the horse silently and swiftly. Once he’d checked over what Jin swore must be every inch of the mangy beast he turned to Jin with a wide smile. “But this is a proper samurai warhorse horse my lord. By the look of him, he’d be the envy of the shogunate. He’s naught but the bones now but with care, this horse will be a fine steed. My lord, I have decided. I will make my horse medicines for the ghost. If you can bring me the proper herbs I can treat the mange and make a treatment to keep meat on the bones.”

Jin glanced between the horse trader and his nameless brown steed. He knew to trust the judgement of a craftsperson. He trusted his armorer, his smith, and he would trust this man to know horses. So Jin dutifully recorded the herbs the man described, and set off on his thin brown horse to gather plants from field, hill, and herbalist. It took time between his other duties but he gathered everything, multiple times, and each time he had enough he found the horse trader again as he travelled through the north of the island, somehow staying where Jin could find him. The horse trader in turn made batches of medicine that Jin’s horse bolted so quickly Jin feared he’d choke.

It took time. Gathering enough to provide the horse with a daily treat was a feat until he found a few select groves overflowing with herbs. And it took time to get the thin brown to stop sneaking mouthfuls of grass whenever they were at less than a trot. Every time the horse did something like that all Jin thought was that Kage would never do such a thing. And every time he pushed the horse’s nose away from his bag of herbs saying “No, not yet, you.” he had to remind himself he wasn’t doing this because he cared for this horse, he only needed the horse to be more efficient. Jin wasn’t going to let himself get attached this time. As much as he’d loved Kage it had been a mistake. One he wasn’t going to repeat with this horse.

It took time, but the thin brown horse slowly put on weight, and muscle. He never did learn to like having his nose pet, but scratching his mane didn’t make Jin’s skin crawl anymore and the horse even let Jin braid his mane. He’s moved from diving face first into the herb bag to nudging Jin’s elbow. And from slamming his head into Jin’s hand to, slightly less forcefully slamming it into Jin’s torso to demand mane scratches. And Jin went from insisting he wasn’t attached to pretending he wasn’t. It would be disrespectful to Kage’s memory he told himself. This horse would never replace Kage, but, when Yuna presented him with new steeds Jin’s eyes crept to the back of the stable where a proper samurai horse stood, still a little lean, but proud under saddle. Jin walked past the two horse Yuna had offered him back to his new companion. “I’ll take this one”. He avoided petting the nose and settled his hand on the strong arch of the horse’s neck, “I’ll call him Kaze.”

Damn him for getting sentimental. And surely this would come back to break his heart. But after going through so much, he couldn’t bear to leave his thin brown horse now. Kaze snapped his head to give Jin’s arm a shove, as if to say ‘let’s go, we should be running’, and Jin knew the name fit. That day they rode south.


End file.
